July 23, 2003
Stage presence
Dude Stephenson marks 50 years of directing Interlochen operetta
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Separated by three generations, young campers at the Interlochen Arts Camp's High School division have found their muse in Dude Stephenson.
Stephenson, a retired theater professor from San Diego State University, makes an annual pilgrimage to Interlochen every summer to direct students in an operetta. His trip this summer marks the 50th year of guiding the artistic cream of high school students from around the world through a summer operatic romp.
"It's youth-enizing, you become younger," declared Stephenson of working with such young, talented students year after year. "It's always new and there's always some wonderful talent that comes along."
"You see this wonderful life and wonderful energy and vitality, we get some incredible talent and they come from all over," he noted.
Whether bicycling around campus, patrolling the stage during rehearsals or providing meticulous directions to lead or company singers, Stephenson broadcasts his enthusiasm, knowledge and exacting standards all around him.
"It's amazing to watch him work because he knows exactly what he wants so you never feel like you're working it out," said Quinto Ott, 18, of Tucson, Ariz. "To get 145 people moving at one time is a pretty amazing feat."
Ott has one of the lead roles in this year's production of Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta "The Gondoliers," which will presented on Friday and Saturday this week at 7:30 p.m. in the Kresge Auditorium. His second year at Interlochen, Ott worked with Stephenson last year on the musical "Patience."
"If he's trying to get us to portray a certain emotion, he uses an example from the past," he said. "Like, he'll say, 'When we did this show 43 years ago.'"
"It is fun because he makes it completely absurd and I have so much fun doing his shows," he added.
Stephenson's brother Jim Bob Stephenson of Interlochen assists him every summer. Together the dynamic duo takes a group of enormously talented students through a grueling audition, rehearsal and production process that spans weeks.
Stephenson's policy is that anyone who wants to may be in the show in some capacity. He also surveys the students at the beginning of the camp to find out their various talents and may tap a dance choreographer, for example, to help stage dance numbers.
The students participate in the operetta as an elective project, shoehorning it among their myriad creative commitments that revolve around their major.
"Even though it's not a major, the operetta has a good reputation for providing something students can enjoy and remember," said Stephenson, who has produced "The Gondoliers" three times previously. "I would venture to guess that the highest number by far of adults who come back and visit for alumni weekend were involved with the operetta. There's a lot of loyalty, we really stress that concept that no one person is important."
Despite his age, Stephenson thrives on what he calls Interlochen Time, which is normal time speeded up to hyper-creative speed.
"Nothing in the world is like Interlochen Time, it's the fastest time anywhere," he declared. "You do more in less time, which helps keep students focused, encourages them to memorize rapidly and to work in a team approach because the other kids aren't going to wait for them."
Stephenson bible each year is an inches-thick three-ring binder, which contains detailed blocking notes for the current production. Despite his recycling operettas over the years, each time he redoes one he makes a completely new notebook filled with new ideas. His brother Jim Bob also has a duplicate notebook every summer and keeps meticulous track of Stephenson's changes during each 50-minute rehearsal.
"I have everything blocked before I get here. I have to because there's not time when you get here," he noted. "Our problem is rehearsal time because we are not a major, we get one third the rehearsal time of a major production and we present it earlier."
"The Gondoliers" will be presented on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. For purchasing information, call the Interlochen box office at 276-7800, 1-800-681-5920 or at www.interlochen.org.